The Montgomery County Board of Education is opposed to legislation that would authorize the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to develop safety guidelines for the use of computer screens in public school classrooms.

The Montgomery County Board of Education "thinks" that the federal government has already regulated the use of computer screens in classrooms. If such regulations exist, they apparently permit unlimited screen time for students of all ages while in school.

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Maryland State Bill To Protect Children From Health Effects of the Overuse of Screens

Watch Videos of the Incredible Testimony Here And Thank You To ALL !

House Bill 866 would require the Maryland department of health to develop and implement health and safety guidelines and procedures for the use of digital devices in public school classrooms. Given the documented myriad of health risks for children, it is critical that schools have age-appropriate guidelines for the use of digital devices in schools.

Watch parents, PTA leaders and Doctors testify about the harmful effects on the eyes, addiction, psychological effects, social effects, physical effects and radiation effects in the videos below.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

House Ways and Means Committee to hear classroom digital device safety billFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 23, 2017
(ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND) The House Ways and Means Committee of the Maryland
General Assembly will hear legislation on Friday, February 24th at 1:00 that directs the state
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) to craft safety guidelines for the use of
digital devices in Maryland public schools.
Delegate Steven Arentz (R-District 36) has sponsored the legislation, House Bill 866, "Primary
and Secondary Education - Health and Safety Guidelines and Procedures - Digital Devices." The
bill has 25 co-sponsors and broad bi-partisan support. An identical bill has been cross-filed by
Senator Steve Hershey (R-District 36), co-sponsored by Senator James Brochin (D-District 42)
and Senator Susan Lee (D-District 16). It has been referred to the Education, Health and
Environmental Affairs Committee.
HB866 aims to protect Maryland students from the health hazards that medical experts have for
many years associated with daily use of digital devices. The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) has had regulations governing the use of computers for office workers
since the 1990s, but schools have no medical oversight.
"More and more experts are proving that there are serious risks to our kids' health because they
spend every day on a digital device," Delegate Arentz said. "Maryland students need to get the
most out of this technology, so we want medical professionals to lead us in a safe direction."
Researchers have shown that many of the same health issues addressed by OSHA are now facing
students who use digital devices every day in school. Retinal damage from blue light emissions,
myopia, sleeplessness, muscle and joint pain, headaches, blurred vision, obesity, anxiety and
addiction have all been associated as health risks facing students because of daily digital device
use.
The bill has substantial support from the state's medical community. The Maryland State
Medical Society (MedChi), which represents all of Maryland's doctors, voted to support the
legislation at their most recent meeting, according to Gene Ransom, MedChi's Executive
Director. One of the co-sponsors, Delegate Clarence Lam, is a physician who leads Johns
Hopkins University's preventative medicine residency program.
Believed to be the first of its kind, the Maryland bill also has the attention of several large health
groups across the country. The nation's leading vision health organization, Prevent Blindness,
supports the Maryland bill. Senior Vice President Jeff Todd wrote a letter commending
Maryland's "efforts to ensure children’s vision, eye health and safety is at the forefront of any
statewide effort related to childhood development."
Optometrists from around the country have also sent support to the General Assembly urging
passage of this legislation, including J. Scott Sikes, O.D., a NC Optometric Society Education
Trustee and Dr. Geoffrey Goodfellow, OD, FAAO, an Associate Professor at the Illinois College

of Optometry and an attending optometrist in the Pediatrics/Binocular Vision Service of the
Illinois Eye Institute.
“Protecting eyesight when it comes to the progressive use of digital technology and screen time
addiction in young people is our number one priority” said Justin Barrett, CEO of Healthe, a
company that creates products "to reduce exposure to harmful digital UV and High-Energy
Visible (HEV) blue light emitted from such devices." "We hope the lawmakers will pass this
important legislation to set a precedent for other states in the protection of all students."
Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, PhD, LCSW-R, a nationally recognized addiction expert and author of
Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids, writes: "I commend the screen safety
effort in Maryland and strongly encourage the General Assembly to pass HB 866 and SB 1089 to
mandate medically sound classroom regulations."
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) is a national advocacy organization with
nearly 50,000 members, including 1,000 in Maryland. The group has asked Maryland lawmakers
to give HB866 their "complete endorsement." In a letter to the Ways and Means Committee,
CCFC Executive Director, Josh Golin, writes, "It is critical that medical professionals develop
clear, research-based, age-appropriate guidelines for the use of digital devices in schools."
Citing its 30-page research document released in August, Parents Across America (PAA) is
another national advocacy group endorsing HB866/SB1089. PAA notes that it "has prepared
extensive materials about the harmful effects on children's academic, intellectual, emotional,
physical and social development when digital devices are misused and overused... We applaud
the Maryland lawmakers who have responded quickly and appropriately to this critical
situation."
Maryland parents have rallied to support the classroom screen safety bill as well. Leslie Weber,
Co-Founder of Advocates for Baltimore County Schools (ABCSchools), the largest public
education advocacy coalition in the county, says, "This bill is greatly needed, especially in
Baltimore County, where one of the nation's largest 1:1 digital initiatives is underway. Children
as young as 5 are in front of screens most days -- objective guidelines from the DHMH are
needed to ensure the safety of these students."
Janis Sartucci, a member of the Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, said, "This bill is long
overdue. Our children need to be protected from a variety of health risks that could affect them
for a lifetime. We must get DHMH involved to be sure kids aren't hurt."
Queen Anne's County parent, Cindy Eckard, has testified and written extensively about the need
for medical oversight of classroom digital devices. Her Op Eds have appeared in both the
Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun. During a recent radio interview Ms. Eckard told WBAL
Radio reporter Robert Lang, "Of course we want our kids to master technology; we just don't
want them harmed in the process."
Ms. Eckard also noted that teachers have a legal duty of care to protect students from known
hazards in the classroom. "This bill will help teachers too, giving them statewide, uniform safety
guidelines, from medical professionals and specialists at DHMH."

Links to medical research; recorded General Assembly testimony; a screen safety press
conference held in Annapolis with actress/comedian Paula Poundstone, and detailed information
regarding the legislation are available on the website www.screensandkids.us or email Ms.
Eckard at screensandkids@gmail.com.

Friday, February 10, 2017

Listen to this Excellent Testimony on Energy Efficient Solutions for WiFi in School. Yes, You Can Reduce Power Consumption and Reduce Health Risk. The safest solution is to use 100% corded cables to connect to the internet. This video is from the Palto Alto School District.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

The Green Gazette published an article about the expert recommendations to reduce wireless while pregnant due to evidence showing adverse impacts of wireless to the developing brain. Read the article online at the Green Gazette.